Wild Flower (5 page)

The lump in her throat almost stopped her getting the word out. ‘Stay.’

He sat back.

‘Great,’ he said casually.

The heat of his body next to hers spread through her.

‘I could show you Singapore,’ she said.

Wade clicked his seat belt. ‘I’m counting on it, Dianella Lee.’

***

The moment Wade stepped outside Changi Airport the moist, humid air had slapped against his skin. After the dry heat of the rainbow coast, it was syrupy good.

They’d joined the queue and caught a cab. Wade winced as he surreptitiously tried to stretch out his legs in the back seat. It hadn’t been the most comfortable flight he’d ever taken. He hadn’t wanted to embarrass Dianella by insisting they travel business class as he usually did on international flights. Instead he’d squeezed into an economy seat beside her, his legs folded like a jack knife. Her tiny frame had fitted the economy seat fine, but he’d insist on upgrading them both on the flight back. They were only staying for the weekend. He couldn’t spend any more of it bent into a pretzel.

During the five hour journey they’d watched movies most of the way, chatted some, but he’d sensed her anxiety.

As he stared out the taxi window his fist clenched. Hearing how Dianella’s mother planned to take away their home and livelihood had made him furious. And Dianella seemed so brave about it, so determined. He wanted to fix her problem for her.

He forced himself to focus on the view of Singapore. Space age buildings. Skyscrapers, hotels, office blocks, public buildings, shopping malls. Hyper-speed, fast-changing. Amazing, innovative architecture. Buildings like flying saucers, stars, shells. Sleek. Shiny. Glass. Steel.

‘This is like another planet.’ It was such a contrast to the natural wilderness of the Australian rainbow coast that they’d left behind only that morning. They’d flown above the turquoise waters fringed by sand and bush on a one hour flight from Albany to Western Australia’s capital city of Perth and its international airport. Then zap. Above the clouds, across the Indian Ocean. They were in the stunning island of Singapore. ‘We got here so fast. And there’s no time change. It’s as if we’ve been relocated by a Star Trek transporter.’

Dianella pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. It was good to see her smile light up her almond eyes, with all she faced at home in Australia. She looked better the minute they’d arrived. ‘You’ve been to Singapore before, haven’t you, Wade?’

‘A few times,’ he replied. ‘When were you last here?’

‘More than a year ago. It’s changed even in that time. But nothing stays the same for long in Singapore. Except for the Raffles Hotel. I’ve always wanted to stay there, but I never have.’

Wade kicked himself. When Dianella had told him her plan to stay with her brother, he’d booked himself in to a contemporary, high rise hotel in the Raffles centre, next door to the Grand Old Lady of hotels. The beautiful colonial white plastered building always reminded him of an iced wedding cake. He’d made a reservation on the top floor of his modern hotel, to get a good view of the city. But he could have booked legendary Raffles.

Next time.

The thought popped into his head before it fully registered.

He wanted a next time in Singapore with Dianella Lee.

Out of the edge of his sunglasses he slid a glance her way.

They had made a serious, high speed connection. He knew it. The minute he’d turned up on the flight from Albany to Perth, and insisted on accompanying her to Singapore, to him it had been the most natural thing in the world.

Somehow, he sensed she knew it too. She hadn’t argued about him coming, not for long. They’d fallen in step with each other as though they travelled together all the time, her small black suitcase nestled beside his squishy Kipling bag. Both of them travelled light.

‘Raffles Hotel isn’t too touristy for you?’ Locals so often loathed tourist hotspots.

‘Borrie came to Singapore when she was young, and had a fine old time in the long Bar at the Raffles Hotel sipping a Singapore Sling. I ought to have one for her. It seems strange to be here and not have told her, but I didn’t want to get her hopes up about saving Go Native.’

She heaved a sigh.

‘Do you want to go and get a Singapore Sling now?’ He’d been to the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel before. The atmosphere might cheer her up.

‘It’s only mid-afternoon. A bit early for me. Anyway, I …’ Biting her full bottom lip, she broke off.

‘What?’

‘I usually make a pilgrimage to a special place whenever I first arrive in Singapore.’

‘Where to?’ he demanded.

‘The Singapore Botanic Gardens,’ she admitted. ‘They have the biggest tropical display of orchids in the world. My dad used to take me there to play on Sundays when I was a little girl.’

Wade leaned over to the taxi driver. ‘Can you take us to the Botanic Gardens?’

‘Wade—’

‘If you need orchids, then orchids you shall have.’ Wade grinned. ‘I can’t get enough of them myself.’

***

‘This is a Singapore I never knew existed.’

Dianella followed Wade’s gaze as he stared around.

Orchids. Tropical orchids that bloomed in their full gaudy glory, in the pinks, orange white and magenta hues with which he associated the flower. They seemed to lap up the moist air.

‘I’m feeling better already. I always do in this place.’ As soon as they’d entered the gates of Singapore’s Botanic Gardens she’d relaxed, as her feet trod the well-known path to the National Orchid Garden within. There were so many gardens she loved to visit inside the Botanic Garden grounds. The ginger garden. The healing garden. The eco-garden. The rain forest. But she loved the orchid garden best, where they now stood surrounded by the gorgeous flowers. It grounded her, earthed her.

‘I can understand why you make a special trip here when you arrive.’ Wade leaned over a garden bed to examine an exotic tiger striped bloom. ‘I’m ashamed to say I’ve been to Singapore a few times and I’ve never visited the Botanic Gardens before. It’s huge.’

Dianella breathed a sigh as she glanced at the people, locals and tourists having picnics on the lush lawns, admiring the plants, and parents playing with their children like she used to with her dad. ‘There’s a bandstand and those big lawns are used for concerts. It’s more than a botanical centre. It’s a back yard for everyone in Singapore.’

Wade pointed. ‘What’s that they’re doing over there? Tai Chi?’

‘Tai Chi or Qi Doing.’ On a patch of grass nearby, a group of older Chinese men and women were making identical graceful movements. Her dad had practiced Tai Chi too.

‘It’s probably a free class.’ She pushed the sad thoughts down. ‘We can join in if you like. It helps keep your chi circulating.’

‘Chi? Is that like mojo?’

She giggled. ‘I guess.’

‘My mojo is doing fine,’ he drawled.

A wave of sexual energy vibrated between them so powerfully she wanted to reach out and touch it. Instead she turned away to examine a cluster of golden dancing lady orchids spilling over the edge of an arched trellis.

She still couldn’t believe Wade had come to Singapore with her, or that she’d let him. Because of his huge size did she find it hard to say no? He’d been crushed into the tiny airplane seat. She’d never realised being small could be a travel advantage. But she appreciated his size.

He made her feel safe.

Still half hiding behind the orchid cluster she peeped at him. No way to mistake him for any other nationality than American. It was all there, in his white teeth, his California tan, the broad shoulders. He looked healthy, with a comfortable assurance in the world. No arrogance, no pushiness, just comfortable. Comforting too. And fun.

They’d come to the orchid gardens after casually dropping off their bags at his hotel.
That meant she’d have to go back to his hotel to collect it.

Her stomach rippled as they went deeper into the garden.

‘This orchid is named Vanda Miss Joaquim, after the lady who helped develop the hybrid.’ She pointed at the pink bloom with a red centre. ‘It’s Singapore’s national flower.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘Beautiful, isn’t it? There are over one thousand species and two thousands hybrids on display here at the National Orchid garden. Most of them are grown here. They’ve been breeding orchids in Singapore since the mid-nineteenth century.’

‘Gee.’

Too much orchid chatter. She changed the subject. ‘In Albany, when we were having lunch, you were telling me about something life-changing about to happen in your work.’

‘That’s right.’

‘Can you share it yet? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’

***

Wade nodded. ‘I’ll tell you about my work, Dianella. It means a lot to me.’

He wanted her to know everything about him, just as he wanted to know everything about her. He’d never sought such closeness before. He’d always been casual about his relationships. Never uncaring, but never attached. Wandering around the Botanic Gardens, he’d experienced an amazing, all new sense of belonging, being there with her.

‘I know you’re waiting on some news,’ she said. ‘Sometimes people don’t like to talk about things while they’re waiting. We Chinese understand luck.’

He chuckled. ‘There’s no problem with my luck. I’ve got a lucky flower fairy.’

Then he sobered. ‘I’d like you to understand my work. It’s important to me. I’m part of a small Silicon Valley software start-up. A few of us knew each other at Stanford University. We’ve had an offer from a very big company, to buy us out.’

‘A takeover? Wow. That’s hitting the big time, isn’t it?’

‘Yep.’ That was an understatement.

‘What will that mean for you? For your own work, I mean?’

He liked that she asked about that, instead of how many millions he’d make, what everyone else asked him. ‘That’s why I escaped to Australia for a while. I need to think about it all, with no pressure. My own work is exactly what I’m most concerned about. A loss of creative control.’

‘You don’t strike me as a control freak.’

He shook his head. ‘The day to day control of running a business doesn’t interest me that much. That’s what’s attractive about joining a bigger organisation; I can get on with what I want to do. But the freedom to create what we want is …’

‘Priceless?’

Wade nodded.

‘You’ve got it. With a bigger company’s backing we’ll be able to develop a better 3D product more quickly.’

‘So let me get this straight.’ Dianella frowned in concentration. ‘That little camera you had in Australia creates a 3D image.’

Wordlessly he pulled it out of his pocket and passed it to her.

She cupped it in her hand. ‘It’s so tiny.’

He grinned. ‘I like tiny things.’

Heat burned her cheeks, he noticed. He hoped from more than the humidity. ‘How does it work?’

‘You click and point, same as an ordinary camera.’

‘To see the photo in 3D, do I need to wear those glasses, like in a movie cinema?’

‘No glasses required. You could view it on a 3D television, or an image viewer. The image comes to life.’

‘Like the video you showed me of Teresa Teng in concert?’

‘Teresa Teng’s hologram is ahead of its time,’ he warned. ‘It’s a full-sized image, and cost a fortune to create. Most hologram images still need a screen or a surface for viewing. But that’s my goal, to be able to create free-standing images that we can see without a screen.’ He searched for a way to explain it to her. He wanted her to understand. ‘You know in the Star Wars movies, there’s Princess Leia’s famous plea for help?’

‘Obe Wan Kenobi is her only hope!’ she exclaimed. ‘Oh, Wade, I get it! The image Luke Skywalker first sees of Princess Leia is a tiny hologram!’

Wade laughed aloud. ‘My dream is that we’ll be able to make software to do that, and soon. Press a button, make a recording and it will come out the other end the size of a—’

‘Fairy,’ Dianella broke in with a smile.

Wade laughed some more. ‘Like a fairy. It’s all about recording and compression of stereoscopic video data but I won’t bore you with the details. What it means is that we’ll be able to record holograms and transmit them across a network, eventually in real time as well. It will seem as if the other person is actually in the room.’

She stared down at the camera. ‘That’s amazing.’

‘Soon, it’s not going to matter where we are in the world. It will be as if the people we’re communicating with are right there next to us.’

She pouted her lips in concentration as she returned the camera to him and he slid it back into his pocket. Her jutting lower lip reminded him of her amazing pout during her lecture, to demonstrate the prominent sepal petal.
Man.
He’d never forget it. ‘I’m not sure about that. For me, seeing a visual of an orchid, whether it is 3D or not is only half the story.’

‘What do you mean?’ Wade asked.

Dianella beckoned. ‘Come with me.’

***

Wade followed Dianella down the gravel path, his sneakers crunching behind her.

‘Close your eyes,’ she said after a few minutes.

His lashes were much longer than she’d noticed before, as they fanned down on his cheekbones, dark and thick.

‘This way.’ Gently she guided him to sit on a wooden bench. ‘Keep them closed. And sniff.’

‘Where are we?’

‘We’re in the fragrant garden.’

He inhaled again.

‘Wow. I get what you mean. What am I smelling?’

‘Probably gardenias. They’re pretty powerful. Jasmine too, maybe frangipani. Don’t open your eyes yet. Inhale.’

Next to him on the bench Dianella let her own lashes close. Even mid-afternoon, there were some gorgeous floral scents floating in the air. In the fragrant garden, all her worries seemed to waft away. Wade being with her certainly kept her mind off her troubles.

Her stomach fluttered. She wanted another one of those amazing kisses.

And more.

‘You’ve convinced me.’ Wade’s deep voice broke into her reverie. ‘I’m going to have to invent some scratch and sniff software.’

She giggled and opened her eyes. ‘Now that is something. Is it possible?’